‘I am not a thief’, Kidero says over Mumias Sugar saga

He warned Kakamega Senator Boni Khalwale to brace himself for a fight as he was not going to take the accusations lying down/FILE

NAIROBI, Kenya, Jun 28 – Nairobi Governor Evans Kidero has come out to defend himself over the allegations that he led to the financial woes facing Mumias Sugar Company saying he is not a thief.

Kidero said those accusing him were out to malign his name insisting that during his tenure the Sugar Company performed at its best and only deteriorated when he resigned to contest for the Nairobi gubernatorial race.

“I am not a thief. When someone questions where I got my money from, I wonder! I was the director of a company at 29 and I was earning a salary, does he (Khalwale) think I was getting bananas as my salary?” posed Kidero.

Speaking during a church service at the Gethsemane Ministry in Donholm, Embakasi Central constituency where the congregation was treated to political gimmicks as others took to campaigning on the podium, Kidero urged those with evidence of what lead to the collapse of the once prestigious sugar Company to present it to the relevant investigating bodies instead of using public rallies to make unsubstantiated statements.

“You cannot determine the guilt of a person in a public rally,” he added.

He warned Kakamega Senator Boni Khalwale to brace himself for a fight as he was not going to take the accusations lying down.

He told Khalwale to prepare to present the evidence he claims to have before a court of law saying leaders should be urged to treat each other with dignity.

Former Nairobi mayor George Aladwa and one time Makadara MP Reuben Ndolo who accompanied Kidero also launched an onslaught on the vocal Kakamega Senator warning him that their daggers had been drawn and they were ready to fight.

Ndolo said they were rallying behind Kidero and would ‘deal with’ those bent on tarnishing his name.

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“We will not sit and watch as one of us is being fought – we will stand by Kidero through all this. Who has the evidence of misappropriation, let him bring it,” said Ndolo.

“We will be stupid if we do not defend our own. Others are also facing corruption allegations but they are defending the own, it is only us who fighting our own,”

Aladwa on his part told off Khalwale whom he accused of behaving like a tout calling on him to stop maligning the names of other leaders.

“Kidero is not the Kakamega Governor. He should take his theatrics there,” he stated.

Last week during President Uhuru Kenyatta’s visit to western Kenya where he issued a one billion shilling cheque to bail out the sugar miller, Khalwale told him to first deal with Kidero whom he accused of overseeing the looting and eventual destruction of the company.

The leaders also took time to urge youth to register and acquire their voters’ cards ahead of the 2017 election saying this time the victory was theirs.

They also campaigned for Aladwa who is seeking to be the ODM Nairobi county Chairman in next month’s elections saying he was the best candidate who steer the party to victory come the next election.